the muse & the marketplace 2010
overview of conference sessions
The 2010 Muse and the Marketplace features six small-group Sessions. Sessions 1, 2 and 3 will be held Saturday May 1st, and Sessions 4, 5 and 6 will be held Sunday May 2nd. All of our sessions include a mix of craft workshops, seminars and lectures given by some of the most accomplished authors and teachers of writing at work today; panels of literary agents, editors, publicists and industry professionals from agencies and publishers in Boston, New York and across the country; and special events like "Literary Idol" and "Guided Open Mic."
Workshop Levels
Every session features options that will be relevant to writers at every stage of their development, either as a "refresher" or as a thoughtful introduction to new craft issues or marketplace trends. New this year, we have also designated one option per session at the Beginner level. These sessions are called "The Essentials Of..." and cover a variety of topics that we consider fundamental to the craft of fiction and non-fiction: Character (Session 1G), Dialogue (Session 2G), Setting (3G), Point of View (4G), Style (5G) and Structure (6G). If you are relatively new to the craft of fiction or non-fiction, or want a smart and concise re-examination of these important elements, be sure to register for these sessions. They are taught by active Grub Street instructors who are also accomplished and award-winning fiction and non-fiction writers.
The remaining sessions are geared toward the intermediate/advanced writer, with the understanding that distinctions among beginner, intermediate and advanced are murky at best. Over the years we at Grub Street have come to define "intermediate/advanced" writers as participants who fit two or more of the following characteristics: they have taken one or two workshops or seminars at Grub Street or a comparable literary arts center or university; they have attended literary conferences in the past; had work honestly critiqued by a friend, instructor or qualified consultant; are familiar with some literary terms; are in writing groups; have read up on the craft of fiction and non-fiction writing; are active readers; have submitted their work to an agent or a literary journal; and/or have published short stories, essays or a book-length work and are looking for a broader audience.
Workshop "Tracks"
Not sure which sessions to pick? Try our suggested workshop "tracks" for The Non-Fiction writer, the Marketplace Expert, writers for Young Adult audiences, and more."Hour of Power" Sessions
The conference also features large-group “Hour of Power” sessions held at the end of the day on both Saturday and Sunday. You do not have to register for the “Hour of Power” sessions in advance. Descriptions for the “Hour of Power” sessions are listed online (see links below) and will be printed in your conference program for reference. Feel free to attend more than one, but please be courteous when entering and exiting the rooms when sessions are already in progress.